Is Teen's 'Affluenza' DWI Sentence Too Lenient?

Ethan Couch, 16, received 10 years of probation after psychologist Dr. Dick Miller testified at his trial that Couch suffered from "affluenza," or the crippling condition of being "too rich to care about consequences," reports the New York Daily News.

Prosecutors had requested that Couch be sentenced to 20 years in state prison, which is the maximum penalty for one charge of intoxication manslaughter. Judge Jean Boyd instead opted for 10 years of probation, allowing the boy to stay in juvenile detention before seeking therapy/rehab treatment. This creative sentence was bolstered by Dr. Miller's testimony during Couch's trial, stating that his fractured home life and the emotional capacity of a 12-year-old suggested treatment, not incarceration. Miller worried that Couch's reliance on money to solve problems would not be solved by putting him in the "sick system" of Texas jail, reports the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The Daily News reports that Couch's legal team proposed sending him to a Southern California rehab center with "cooking classes" and "health spa-style accommodations" for the price of $450,000. Couch's legal team stressed that the punishment isn't a free ride; Judge Boyd could revoke Couch's probation and send him to jail at any time in the next 10 years if he "misbehaves."

For those without the dreaded affluenza, this seems like a lot of malarkey.

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